Adjustable feed table for envelope-making and like machines



Feb. 14, 1933. PFLANZE 1,897,641

ADJUSTABLE FEED TABLE FOR ENVELOPE MAKING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed June1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M ME/v70)? (YEP/"1 A/VZE 55 ATTORNEY Feb. 14,1933. c. F. PFLANZE ADJUSTABLE FEED TABLE FOR ENVELOPE MAKING AND LIKEMACHINES Fi led June 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 14, 1933 I IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CHAIRLES F. PFLANZE, OF WEBSTERGROVES,'MISSOURI ADJUSTABLE FEED TABLE FOR ENVELOPEFMAKING AND LIKEMACHINES.

Application filed June 1, 1931. Serial No. 541,195.

This invention relates generally to enfeed rolls B and G deliver thesheets of mate-. velope-making and like machines, and more rial beingfed to the machine to an inclined specifically to adjustable feedtablesfor maelement D which aids in delivering said sheets chines of thistype, the predominant object of of material to the mechanism of themachine.

the invention being to provide a feed table Referring now to theimproved feeding which is adjustable so as to'receive and feed table,which is designated generally by the envelope blanks, or other sheets ofmaterial, reference character F, 1 designates a'pliate of differentsizes, and-to so construct and arprovided adjacent to its upper end witha range the feed table that the adjustments cut-out portion '2; that isto say, at the oppo 10 thereof are made relative to the longitudinalsite sides of its upper end portion the platel center line of the feedtable. is provided with bar portions 3, and at their In the case ofenvelope-making machines outer ends these bar portions are provided andlike machines, it is essentialthat the on with integrally formed,inwardly extended velope blanks, or other sheets of material bebarportions 4. The bar portions 4 terminate ing fed into the machines, movealong a preshort of each other at their inner ends, as determined pathwhich coincides with the shown in Fig. 1, and a'bar'5, which'is securedcenter line of the feed table. In other words, at its opposite endportions to the opposed bar for the machines to function properly theportions 4, joins said bar portions 4together.

center lines of the sheets of material being The plate 1 at its rearwardend is provided 99 fed must coincide with the center, lines of withdownwardly extended lugs 6, and 7 the feed tables, and during passagethrough designates a rod which is extended through the machines mustfollow along a path which apertures in'said lugs. The rod 7 is extendedis a continuation of such center lines. This transversely of the feedtable, and is rot-atcoincidence of the center lines of the sheets ablysupported by the opposed frame mem- 25 of material being fed, isobtainedin the use bers A' of the machine with which the feed ofa feedtableconstructed in accordance with table is associated, and at one of itsends said this invention by making all adjustments of rod-has'fixedthereto an operating element 8 said feed table relative to a fixedcenter .line provided with a knurled circumferential face thereof, andtherefore the making of. the (Fig. 1). The forward portion of thefeedadjustments referred to does not disturb the table issupported'byportions F at the oppoabsolute coincidence of center lines of the sitesides thereof which overlap the frame feed table and the-sheets ofmaterial being members A, adjusting screws F being profed. vided forregulating the elevation of said Fig. 1 is a, plan view of a. feed tableconforward portion of said feed table.

structed iii-accordance with this invention. Arranged adjacent to theopposite side Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of'Fig. 1. edges of theplate 1 is a pair of bars 9 which Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section online 33 slidingly contact with the top face of said; of Fig. 1. plate.Each of the bars 9 is provided with Fig. 4 is an end elevation of thestructure an elongatedopening 10 through which a bolt illustrated inFigs. '1 and 2 viewed as indi- 11 or other suitable headed fasteningdevice cated by the line-44 in Fig.2, and with par-ts is extended, saidfastening device being prothereof broken away toconserve space. videdwith a nut which is screwed on the In the drawings, wherein is shown forthe lower end portion thereof, a The bars 9 are purpose of illustration,merely, one embodiconnected together at their rearward ends by I 5 mentof the invention, A designates frame a connecting element 12 to whichsaid baits" members of a machine, such, for instance, as '9 are secured,and at their opposite ends an envelope-making machine, said machineAsaid bars are provided with inwardly exincludin-g-a pair of feed rolls Band 'C by tended portions 13. 14 designates guide which material insheet form is fed to'the members which are adjustably secured .tomechanism (not shown)--of the machine. The the portions. 13 of the bars'9. These guide members 14 are each provided with a slot 15, and 16designates abolt or other suitable fastening device which passes throughsaid slot and through an aperture formed through the portion 18 of theassociated bar 9. The guiding members 14 are each provided with aguiding extension 14 which serves a purpose to be hereinafter referredto.

Pivotally secured to the connecting element 12 at the points designatedby the reference character 17 is a pair of guiding members 18. Theseguiding members are provided at their forward ends with guidingextensions 18 similar to the guiding extensions 14 associated with theguiding members 14, and associated with each of said guiding members 18is a follower 19. The followers 19 are each secured to the associatedguiding members by a swivel connection 20, and each of said followers isprovided with a screw-threaded opening formed therethrough.

Fixedly secured to the element 12 at its approximate center is a bearing21, said hearing including an upstanding portion-22 in which a seat 23,which is open at the top, is formed (Fig. 2). The bearing 21 supports anadjusting screw 24, said adjusting screw being provided with a smoothportion 25 at its approximate center which is disposed in the seat 23 ofthe bearing 21. The smooth portion 25 of the adjusting screw 24 isinterposed between a pair of enlarged collar portions 26 which embracethe portion 22 of the bearing 21, and the opposite ends 27 and 28 ofsaid adjusting screw, which extend through the followers 19, areprovided respectively with right-hand and left-hand screw-threads. 29designates an enlarged operating head at one end of said adjustingscrew.

The lower face of each of the bars 9 is provided with teeth whichprovide a rack 30, and fixedly mounted on the rod 7 adjacentto theopposite ends thereof are pinions 31. The teeth of the pinions 31 meshwith the teeth of the racks 30, whereby rotation of the rod 7 willresult in longitudinal movement of bars 9. Fixed to the top face of theplate 1 is a pair of guiding elements 32 which contact with the outeredges of the bars 19) so as to aid in guiding the movement of said ars.

The feed rolls B and C already referred to are supported for rotarymovement by shafts B and C which are journaled in the frame members A ofthe machine with which the feed table is associated, and locatedadjacent to said feed rolls is a suction tube 33 of the type common topaper feeding mechanisms. The suction tube 33 has mechanism associatedwith it (not shown) which operates to swing the extended portion 33thereof in an arc of a circle to the position indicated by. dotted linesin Fig. 2, and to permit such movement the feed rolls B and C are eacharranged in two parts with a space between the inner ends of thesections of each roll. These spaces between the sections of the rolls Band C are shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 4, wherein said spaces aredesignated by the reference character S. Also the feed rolls B and C areofsegmental formation, each of the sections of said rolls comprising anarcuate wall as shown in Fig. 2. Located immediately above the feed rollB and secured to the bar 5 already referred to is a support 85 for thesheets of material being fed, said support preferably comprising anelegge nt provided with a pair of spaced fingers In theoperation of themachine with which my improved feed table is associated, a stack ofenvelope blanks or other sheets of material is arranged on the feedtable, as indicated in-Figs. 1 and 2, the guiding extensions 14 and 18'of the guiding members 14 and 18 being positioned, asshown in Fig. 1, sothat said stackof material is maintained in its proper position on thefeed table and with the longitudinal center line of the stack ofmaterial in exact coincidence with the longitudinal center line of thefeed table. The machine is then placed in operation and the suction tube33 draws the forward portion of the lowermost blank or sheet of materialdownwardly when the extension 33 of said suction tube swings downwardlyin an arc of a circle, the forward edge portion of the stack of blanksbeing supported by the support 35. The feed rolls Band C are so timedthat as the forward portion of the lowermost blank or sheet of materialis drawn downwardly as described, the rotating arcuate walls of saidfeed rolls will grasp said forward portion of said blank or sheet ofmaterial and feed it forwardly along the inclined element D to themechanism of the machine.

When it is desired to adjust the gu ding members 14 and 18 so as toprovide for the feeding of blanks, or other sheets of material, of adifferent size, the fastening devices 11 are released and the rod 7 isrotated by manipulating the knurled element 8 associated therewith. Thisresults in the bars 9 being moved longitudinally of their axes withrespect to the plate 1, and because the guiding members 14 and 18 aremovable with said bars, said guiding members are subjected to likeadjustment. The adjusting screw 24 may then be rotated by manipulationof the knurled head 29 associated therewith, and as a result of suchrotation of said adjusting screw 24 the outer end portions of theguiding members 18 are moved in an arc of a circle toward or away fromthe center line of the feed table, depending on the direction ofrotation of the adjusting screw 24. Also, if necessary, the guidingmembers 14 may be adjusted by releasing the fastening devices ageov eai16 and shifting the guiding members to the desired position.

It is seen, therefore, that the guiding members of the feed table may besubjected to complete adjustment, and as such adjustments are made withrespect to the center line of the feed table, proper positioning of thestack of blanks or other sheets of material being fed is alwaysattained.

I claim:

1. A feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed, aplurality of guiding members for maintaining the position of said stackof material on said support, means for adjusting said guiding memberslongitudinally with respect to said support, and a common means forsimultaneously adjusting a plurality of said guiding memberstransversely of said support in opposite directions.

2. A feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed, aplurality of guiding members for maintaining the position or said stackof material on said support, means including a rack bar and pinion foradjusting said guiding members longi-' tudinally with respect to saidsupport, and a common means for simultaneously adjusting a plurality ofsaid guiding members transversely of said support in oppositedirections.

A. feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed, aplurality of guiding members for maintaining the position of said stackof material on said support, means for adjusting said guiding memberslongitudinally with respect to said support, a pair of said guidingmembers being arranged for pivotal movement, and a common means forsimultaneously adjusting said pivoted guiding members transversely ofsaid support in opposite directions.

4. A feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed, aplurality of guiding members for maintaining the position of said stackof material on said support, means for adjusting said guiding memberslongitudinally with respect to said support, a pair of said guidingmembers being arranged for pivotal movement, and a common meansincluding an adjusting screw for simultaneously adjusting said pivotedguiding members transversely of said support in opposite directions.

5. A feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed, aplurality of guiding members for maintaining the position of said stackof material on said support, means for adjusting said guiding memberslongitudinally with respect to said support,

a pair of said guiding members being arranged tor pivotal movement, anda common means for simultaneously adjusting said pivoted guiding memberstransversely of said support in opposite directions, the last-menztioned:means including an adjusting screw having portions provided with-ri'ght-hand I .and lett-zhand screw-threadawand 'iollower-s associatedwith said pivoted guiding mem- ':-bers through whiclrthe screw-threadedporitionseofsaid adjusting screwapass.

16. A. feed table including a support for 1a stack of material 'beingfed, .a plurality of guiding members for maintaining :the positionrofsaid stack ofmaterial onsaid support, ssa'id guidingmembers including aplurality of independently adjustable guiding -.mem- :bers andra'pairoi":guidingmembers.arranged 'tor :pivotal" movement, means for adjustingsaid guiding members ilongitudinally with u'espee tto said support, anda common'means -for simultaneously :adjustingsaid pivoted ggu idingmembers transversely of said support in opposite directions.

7. A feed table including a support :for a stack of zmaterial being fed,a pluralitypf guidin members for maintaining thepbsition: of said stackof material on said support, said guiding membersxincluding a pluralityof independently adjustable :guiding mem bers and. a'pair of:guidingmembersarranged 'for pivotal 'movement,. means for adjusting saidguiding memberslongitudinally with respect to said support, and a commonmeans including an adjusting :screw for simultaneorsly adjusting saidpivoted guidingmemfibers transversely ofsaid support;

38. Aefeed table including a support tor-a stacker" material being .fed,aplurality of guiding members for .maintaining :the positionwof saidstack 0)? material on said support, saidguiding members including a plu'portions of said adjusting screw pass.

9. A feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed, aplurality of guiding members for maintaining the position of said stackof material on said support, said guiding members including a pluralityof independently adjustable guiding members and a pair of guidingmembers arranged for pivotal movement, means including a rack and pinionfor adjusting said guiding members longitudinally with respect to saidsupport, and means for simultaneously adj usting said pivoted guidingmembers transversely of said support, the last-mentioned means includingan adjusting screw having I portions provided with right-hand andlefthand screw-threads, and followers associated with said pivotedguiding members through which the screw-threaded portions of saidadjusting screw pass.

10. A feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed,a plurality of guiding members for maintaining the position of the stackof material on said support, said guiding members including a pluralityof independently adjustable guiding members and a pair of guidingmembers arranged for pivotal movement, means for adjusting said guidingmembers longitudinally with respect to said support, locking means forlocking said guiding members in positions longitudinally of the supportto which they have been adjusted, and means for simultaneously adjustingsaid pivoted guiding members transversely of said support.

11'. A feed table including a support for a stack of material being fed,a plurality of guiding members for maintaining the position of the stackof material on said support, said guiding members including a pluralityof independently adjustable guiding members and a pair of guidingmembers arranged for pivotal movement, clamping means for locking saidindependently adjustable guiding members against independent adjustment,means for adjusting said guiding members longitudinally with respect tosaid support, locking means for locking said guiding members inpositions longitudinally of the support to which they have beenadjusted, and a common means for simultaneously adjusting said pivotedguiding members transversely of said support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aifix my signature.

CHARLES. F. PFLANZE.

